orange dress is standing nearby, she is likely
to choose orange from her palette. A red
truck parks within sight of her yard; red is
her next choice. Handler Anita Schanberger
told me, "I think the two African elephants
in the yard may be jealous of all the attention
Ruby gets. Lately, they've begun scratching
patterns on the retaining wall with sticks."
Most mammals' brains at birth are around
90 percent of their adult weight. In a human
Elephants-Outof Time, Out of Space
infant the brain is only 27 percent of its adult
weight. For elephants the figure is of the
same order-35 percent. Their brain is highly
convoluted-another measure of intelligence,
which they share with humans, the great
apes, and dolphins. And elephants have the
largest brain of any land mammal. Trying to
conserve such a being is not a burden. It is an
opportunity to continue living in a world with
great things.
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